Serving Chicagoland since 1987

Sungloss Marble Co News & Advice

With all the rain around Chicago this Summer, we at Sungloss Marble Restoration company are reminded of the many ways unwanted water can wreak havoc on natural stone. Two come to the forefront of our minds:

Efflorescence. One time I started explaining this phenomenon to a customer and he asked, “isn’t that a band?” True, it might not be a common term, but this can be a serious problem. In an abridged nutshell, efflorescence is the process of undissolved salts being drawn up to the surface of stone or brick. New, curing concrete has a lot to do with it. If a new-ish brick building starts blooming white residue, it isn’t too far a stretch to blame the concrete core construction underneath. Efflorescence can be trickier to troubleshoot in a commercial or residential interior. Water must be present under the floor (perhaps seeping through a poor subfloor barrier and contacting the backside of natural stone tiles), and unless you have x-ray eyes, experience and specific tools and procedures may be needed to diagnose it. The key here is water—where it shouldn’t be—causing a problem.

Mildew. This is a well-known blight, almost exclusively existing in residential marble and natural stone showers (as well as ceramic tile, porcelain, plastic, and every other variety of shower stall). Obviously, water is involved when we’re talking about showering. That’s what the mildew—technically, black mold—loves. The reason why mildew loves showers is because they perpetually provide food (soap scum, and other nasty stuff) and high moisture, which is mildew’s favorite environment. Guess what? If you squeegee your shower down after you finish, and ensure it has a strong and effective ventilation system, mildew doesn’t like your shower as much anymore. Other steps such as anti-fungal cleaners can also help ward it off. Unfortunately, proactive intervention and shower designs both being what they are, mildew persists in some of our customer’s showers.